Seoul Police Chief Conducts On-Foot Inspection Around Sillim Station Ahead of Lunar New Year

Civilian-police joint patrols in areas densely populated with single-woman households
516 risk factors reported...218 addressed with immediate improvements

Park Jeongbo, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, conducted a special security inspection and joined a civilian-police joint patrol around Sillim Station a day before the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said that on the afternoon of the 13th, Chief Park walked a 1.1-kilometer section from the Sundae Town area near Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu to a residential neighborhood with a high concentration of single-woman households. The purpose was to directly check crime risk factors in busy commercial districts and areas densely populated with single-woman households ahead of the holiday.

Park Jeongbo, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, inspected civilian-police joint patrols and special security operations in the area around Sillim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on the 13th ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

This inspection is part of the special security operations that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has been conducting since the 9th and will continue until the end of the Lunar New Year holiday. During this period, the agency will deploy an average of 6,907 police officers per day. Focusing on commercial districts and alleyways, it intends to identify disorderly elements and crime-prone spots to enhance the public’s sense of safety.

On this day, Chief Park patrolled with about 50 officials, including Koo Eunyeong, chief of the Gwanak Police Station in Seoul, Kim Yongil, head of the Gwanak-gu voluntary crime-prevention unit, and Kim Hokyung, head of the Seowon-dong merchants’ association. He ordered crime-prevention measures such as installing "special patrol zone" signs in certain sections and strengthening patrols. He also visited small businesses such as single-operator cafes and hair salons to hear about their difficulties and urged them to actively use the 112 emergency hotline in urgent situations.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is also collecting citizens’ opinions on inconveniences and hazards in everyday spaces until March 15. Of the 516 reports received as of this day, immediate improvements have begun on 218 cases involving the installation of CCTV cameras and streetlights, crackdowns on drunken disturbances, and increased patrols, while 298 cases are being addressed in stages through environmental maintenance and other measures.

Chief Park said, "The Lunar New Year holiday is a time for families and neighbors to be together, but in areas with a high concentration of single-person households, public safety concerns can grow relatively larger," adding, "We will proactively identify crime risk factors that make citizens feel unsafe so that everyone can spend the holiday with peace of mind."

Before the patrol, Chief Park visited a hospital in Dongdaemun-gu to comfort a fellow police officer and the officer’s family, as the officer has been undergoing long-term treatment for an on-duty injury. He also visited Seoul Station to inspect safety management for homebound holiday travelers.